Meeting the Night
by heartsn'minds
Summary: Red X spies Starfire shopping one night and decides that this could be his only chance to try and win over the heart of the ebullient alien princess. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

It was a balmy May night as the masked thief scaled roof top to roof top, his form practically blending into the shadows in which he hid. The darkness of the night sky overpowered the faint crescent moonlight and he was never so grateful for such an overwhelming blackness; Jump City had always been something akin to a bustling New York City, but on a much smaller scale. He supposes that's one of the reasons he chose to stay in the pitiful area, but he already knew that was a lie building into something more momentous; the multitude of lights and uneven skyline of skyscrapers, retail stores, restaurants, and boutiques all fell under his sweeping gaze within those few minutes. He stood atop an empty corporate building on the fringe of the lively city as his eyes finally spied the flaming red hair that he had been searching for; smirking, he easily employed his high tech suit to all his glory as the built in binoculars zoomed in upon the scarlet haired girl.

She was entering into a clothing boutique, a slightly confused expression upon her face as she gazed at the display window; the shadowed man smirked as he saw her disappear in before stealthily venturing back into the darkness. A brief glimpse of her was all he needed to sate himself, to assure him that her split from the wingless Boy Wonder was true and that a chance opening was cleared for him. He'd always taken a keen interest in the tanned alien girl and he could easily see that she held some grain of affection for him as well, despite the hatred that the former sidekick practically seethed every time they crossed paths.

Easily, the man that was Red X crossed his arms as he continued to mull over the occurrences that led him to become such a vigilant watcher upon the vivacious sweetheart of a hero. Was it so wrong for a man as dark as he to lust after a girl as pure as she? Perhaps in a distant past they could have made something of themselves when he was a ward of a wealthy man and…Red X quickly shook those thoughts aside as he sneered at his moment of weakness. Never indulge in past preferences, he mentally dictated as he leaned back unto the rooftop door; after all, what the Joker did to him was perhaps the greatest freedom he'd ever received and he'd be damned if he'd ever swerve back unto that self righteous path that the little sidekick and his gang followed so religiously. Well, everyone except the foreign beauty; her natural curiosity and deep empathy for others often blurred the lines between 'good' and 'evil'. She would constantly give aid to those who needed it, even if they were on the opposite side of the playing field; she had never actually used a star bolt on him, the thief mused, but preferred to engage him in a playful and curious banter which intrigued and attracted him. He knew she didn't do it on purpose, it was just her natural tendency to see who her opponent was, if she should truly fight him; Tamaranians were fierce warriors yes, but only when they knew for sure who it was that they would be fighting. This explained the alien girl's reluctance to engage her sister in combat until the last second (though Red X was certainly more than willingly to hunt the bitch down again and wring her neck once he received news of his girl's near peril) and also why when she fought, she fought to momentarily wound and never to kill.

"How long have you been standing here, X?" Came a soft voice, something akin to strawberries dipped in sugar and filled with the curiosity of a bumblebee gathering nectar in the spring. He could smell the scent of honey and vanilla rolling off of her as the warm night air carried it to him; inwardly, he smirked as he spun around to meet her, his mask covering the gleam that now borne itself in his eye.

"Well hello there, cutie. How long have you been hiding in the shadows? Picking up a few of my trademarks?"

The tan skinned girl merely smiled, shaking her head in amusement as she stood a few good feet apart from him. "You knew I was here, do not pretend to be…"

"Oblivious?" He offered, the smirk still upon his covered lips.

"Yes! Oblivious! Do not pretend to be so with me, Red X. What are you doing here?"

He pushed himself off the metal door, giving a shrug as he turned to view the city before beginning to pace in front of the foreign beauty. "Always with the what's and the why's and when-will-you-stop's, eh? How come I don't ever get a kiss as a greeting, sweetheart?"

The girl reddened, a blush upon her cheeks as she struggled to gain composure under the vigilante's playful banter. "I do not kiss thieves."

"But you kissed Robin-boy when you first got to Earth didn't you, babe?"

"I needed to learn this language! Would you have me still speaking Tamaran to you?"

He smirked, "well all the better for you to kiss me then, darling."

"You-we will not discuss this now!" She affirmed briskly, "as you are not committing a crime and I am not in uniform nor with my teammates, then we will not fight each other and will engage in formal conversation."

He raised a brow at the alien girl's breathy claim. "And what makes you so sure that I'm not the one itching for a fight or two tonight?"

"Because you have never touched me in battle."

"I'd never hit a pretty girl, babe."

"You are very…what is the word? Clicky? No…cliche!" Starfire finally smiled, proud at herself for having remembered the terminology she had momentarily forgotten. It was a word that Friend Raven often employed to her whenever Starfire gushed over something such as rainbows (there were never any rainbows on Tamaran) or kittens, puppies or even warm cups of pumpkin spice latte. Now, looking across at Red X she could tell that he was amused judging by his relaxed stance; usually when they fought, he was as skilled as a cat on the prowl, all grace and fluidity, never casually standing with arms crossed and a slight slouch in his demeanor. It relaxed her seeing him to calm, not that she would ever need to worry about him in battle stance; throughout every single entanglement that the Titans and Red X have engaged in, the skillful thief had made sure never to hurt her. Even something so simple as shooting a cohesive X band was reserved only for the most drastic measures when regarding her; taking a few steps closer, her confidence rising, Starfire gave a bright and sunny smile. "I do believe this is the part where you greet me with a witty comment."

Red X grinned, though Starfire would never see, as he walked a few paces closer towards her, his gloved hand raised slightly. "You're a bit presumptuous, aren't you?" He chuckled, "who says I've got something up my sleeve other than a 'hello and how are you'?"

"Because you are Red X. You are too vain to be simple."

He stared at her momentarily, respect filling his every molecule; he knew that most people regarded Starfire as naive and often dull but he saw none of that. Through her simplicity and innocence, the innocence that children carried and something that the fiery haired alien possessed in abundance, allowed her to see situations for what they were. A sight devoid of all bias and impurity…and he smiled.

"You think too lowly of me, sweetheart. I think I'm a bit less shallow than that."

Starfire cocked an eyebrow before shrugging, an amused smile on her lips. "Is that how this evening is going to go?"

"I could think of a hundred million different ways this evening could go but I doubt your little team of goons would appreciate those ideas." He offered, the suggestion thick in his tone as he skimmed her body up and down. For once, she did not wear her skin bearing uniform but rather, a pair of dark skinny jeans and sky high black heels. She wore a skin tight black lace blouse and her thick hair was coiled in perfect curls; she carried a red purse that slung from her shoulder and Red X could easily tell that it was empty judging by the way it gently waved in the warm breeze. As he gazed towards her purse, his eyes shifted up to her eyes were confusion, amusement, and…desire? were burning. He inwardly smirked.

"Your ideas usually end with Robin trying to beat you into submission." Starfire frowned.

The elusive thief shrugged, "and he usually ends up getting his ass kicked doesn't he?"

"No. You usually end up pounding his face, not his rear end." Starfire enunciated, eyes completely fixed upon Red X.

The response was jocular; the usually cold demeanor of Red X disappeared and from him a deep rumbling laughter filled the air as Starfire watched on, overjoyed at his easy happiness and confused as to what brought it on. As she stood there, a dulcet smile upon her countenance, the skull masked man walked a few paces closer until only a few inches separated the two.

"Why don't we get out of here, hm?"

"And where would we go?" Starfire frowned. She'd visited just about every boutique in Jump City and there was nothing there that really appealed to her.

Red X smirked, as his fingertips danced along Starfire's lithe arms. "We're about to go under, babe." And with that, he grabbed Starfire, pressing her close to his chest as the two teleported right into the heart of Gotham City.

* * *

**Author's Note: I just saw a few episodes of Teen Titans and I thought Red X and Starfire could actually make an adorable couple, and so I decided to make this little two-shot. This is my first time writing a TT fanfiction piece so my facts might be a little off! **


	2. Chapter 2

II

"Why are we in Gotham?" Starfire inquired, she looked about the hustling bustling light filled streets of the corrupt city with confusion. Every time she inquired about Robin's former base he would automatically shut down and refuse to speak to her; she had to sit and talk with Cyborg about it while he had fixed the T-Car and the produced response had shaken the Tamaranian warrior.

Gotham City, according to the knowledgable Cyborg, was a place of crime and corruption. A vile and dark city with murderers, rapists, and gun toting psychopaths running amuck and tearing the town apart. If one were to look past the glittering facade that was Gotham, one would see nothing but an empty darkness, ready to consume one's soul; the Batman was the only one able to bring these people down. Well, him and Wonder Woman, Starfire had silently added; ever since the marriage of Bruce Wayne to Princess Diana (AKA, Wonder Woman), she had expected the uniformed Amazon to join Batman in the fight for justice. But according to Raven, Beast Boy, and just about every other superhero out there, Batman was a solo artist who absolutely despised partnership and therefore, working with Bruce Wayne's wife wasn't exactly his number one choice, though the two did frequently collaborate on bust schemes and elaborate murders. The city however, remained a stubborn melding pot and the criminals that escaped from Arkham and elsewhere pooled together in the dark, windswept lightscape as if it were their salvation.

Yet, as Starfire gazed about the bright city, everything a large, blocky backdrop of black while the blinding white and golden lights filled every area and the orchestra was a symphony of car honks and clicking heels, Starfire failed to see the corruption and crime that Gotham was renowned for. Peering her gaze upward, Starfire was delighted that she could make out the stars above, something she could rarely do in Jump City due to all the pollution; a bright smile crossed her lips as a mesmerized Red X gazed upon her.

He would never admit it to anyone (let alone himself) that her smile was the most infectious and beautiful thing that he had ever seen. Something more priceless than the jewels he'd stole and the heists he pulled-Starfire's smile was absolutely priceless and to him, it was something that he would cherish with him for the rest of his existence. Placing a hand upon her hip, he pulled her into a darkened alleyway before smirking at her confused expression.

"Been to a speakeasy before, babe?"

"A…what?"

Red X grinned. He knew perfectly well just how this night would end.

* * *

"Where the hell is Starfire?" Robin, commander of the Titans (the group having unanimously decided to drop the 'teen' from it) seethed as he paced back and forth from the T-Tower, his scowl growing with each passing second.

His teammates, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven all calmly sat upon the black wraparound couch; well, calmly as in Cyborg and Beast Boy were furiously smacking their controllers playing the latest video game whilst their darker teammate read a book of poetry. The pacing of the Boy Wonder only grew as he heard no response; finally, he sat down next to the violet haired witch, his gaze withering.

"Raven, seriously, where's Star?"

"Why do you want to know where sunshine is? Don't you think this house could use a little qu-semi peace?" She corrected, giving a sharp gaze at the two gaming heroes.

The dark haired acrobat shook his head with frustration, "she's never been out so late before and her tracker's gone. Someone threw it in the gutter, Rae. What if something happened to her?"

The demon witch merely shook her head; she, along with every other being who's ever met the ebullient alien had grown to care for her. In more ways than one, the dark witch thought of the tanned skinned girl as an adopted sister and would valiantly fight by her side until the end; however, judging by the recent possessiveness that Robin had been exhibiting towards the bubbly red head, Raven figured she could let the Boy Wonder simmer for a bit. Giving a shrug, she smirked down, "Starfire's a big girl. Not only is she powerful but she's smart." Flipping to another chapter, Raven tilted her chin upward to give a pointed gaze at the antagonized Titan, "she'll call if she's in danger or needs help and I doubt she'll tangle herself with anyone even remotely dangerous. Trust me, Robin. This is Starfire we're talking about. A girl who still believes in Santa and the Easter Bunny."

* * *

The alluring jazz music from the live band had compelled Starfire to arise from her seat, and began swaying seductively upon the dance floor, slightly intoxicated, as men watched on. The speakeasy that elusive criminal had brought her into suited her needs perfectly; from the age old mahogany bar to the antique live band, the circular tables and the scent of cigars and scotch swirling about the hazy air. It reminded Starfire so much of the old black and white films she'd watched and of the Tamarian Mating Ritual that she couldn't help adore it so. The lights that colored the intimate setting were those of an opaque golden light, giving everything an old world feel; it only hazed the alien princess's sight even more as she continued to sway in the midst of a nearly empty dance floor whilst Red X admired the view from the shaded corner.

He knew that the Tamarian could hold her liquor and was slightly surprised when she did become intoxicated by the numerous shots she took but he wasn't too stunned when she began to exhibit human like tendencies when drunk, such as stumbling unto the dance floor. Though, he gave an inward smirk, she was a hell of a lot more graceful than most; her hips rocking from side to side and her arms flowing in unrepeatable patterns, her fingers sometimes skimming down the sides of her breasts. He was using every last ounce of self control that he possessed to restrain himself from carrying her off and ravishing her to the brink of heaven; he knew perfectly well that the bird boy would be on them the moment they stepped foot in Jump City again and he wasn't about to let this night end. Not yet.

Standing upright, he knew that the patrons of the bar couldn't give a damn if he wore his costume, after all, he'd won the bar in a nifty hand of dishonest poker and he often came to the establishment as Red X. Walking towards the tan skinned girl, he chuckled when she tripped over his foot and stumbled right into his arms; gently pulling her to face him, he couldn't help but find the rosy red blush upon her cheeks utterly endearing and the honest sparkle in her green eyes stunned him.

"Careful now, babe," he murmured into her ear, brushing a few strands of red silk back, "wouldn't want you to stumble and fall now, would we?"

She giggled, her laughter bubbling up her throat and escaping into the smoky air. "Have you finally decided to take up my offer and join me for a dance, X?"

The thief allowed a grin, knowing full well she wouldn't be able to see it. "No. Not really."

She frowned. "No?"

"Let's get you out of here, hm?" He continued, as if he hadn't heard her question. He easily swung her into a bridal style position in his arms, ignoring her surprised gasp and feeling pleasure well up within him when her arms tangled themselves behind his neck. "I've got one last place to show you, cutie, and I think you'll love it."

"Does it serve shots?" Starfire asked, a perfectly innocent expression upon her face as Red X chuckled again; this time, the alien girl could feel his chest rumbling with laughter and leaned in closer, utterly content.

The villain pressed her closer still, "I could always stop by the Ritz and snag a bottle of wine or two. Actually, that's a pretty good idea there, red. Gimme a second." Without giving her time to question him, he pressed the X upon his belt and within seconds, they were gone again.

* * *

"You have to stop doing that!" The alien princess cried, giving the masked bandit a forceful shove as she stepped away from his arms. They had teleported to the back of the Ritz Carleton where the lights were faint and misty, as if a light rainfall had just occurred; the black asphalt was warm, even in the moonlight as Starfire turned on her heel and began pacing away from the amused defalcator.

"Aw, c'mon there, cutie, it wasn't all bad!" Red X grinned, "besides, if I'd given you a warning you'd have probably punched me through a wall or two."

She stopped, whirling back he saw her emerald eyes were blazing with indignation and suppressed laughter and he knew she was never angry with him to begin with. Walking closer to him, they were just a few inches apart as she crossed her arms, tilting her head upward like the royalty she was before speaking.

"I do not use force unless necessary." She sniffed out.

The bandit smirked. "Sure. And who taught you that rule? Little Boy Wonder?"

"_Robin_ has taught me many things," the fiery haired girl interjected, unknowingly causing her sentence to sound far more sexual that it was. "I should like to think that the knowledge will come into play someday."

"Why do you always talk like you're from the eighteenth century, babe?"

Starfire blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You're speech. You sound like a dame from the decades past, not that that's a bad thing," he added, "just…unique."

"I…If you do not like my manner of talking I can try to…slang it…more?" She asked, her voice taking an naive quality as she struggled to find the proper words. However, as she chewed upon her bottom lip all she could see was Red X grasping her waist and pulling her inward. "Wh-what are you doing now, X?"

The thief smirked, never so grateful so as to have his mask on. "I'm going to dance with you and then we're going to crash the Ritz."

Starfire frowned, "we cannot infiltrate this restaurant. It is Diana Wayne's favorite establishment and I do not want to be on the wrong side of an angry Amazon. We Tamarans hold a certain respect for the race, you see."

Red X rolled his eyes at her formal wording and knew well that she was just doing it to aggravate him now. "C'mon sweetheart, a dance and a run. What do you say?"

"I say why are you so charming tonight?" She inquired, as she grasped his outstretched hand. "Why…why all the kindness?"

"Kindness? Well babe, kidnapping you and locking you in my lair doesn't seem like a real effective way of winning you over, does it?"

"Winning me over?"

Red X easily twirled the lithe princess around, the gentle music from the Ritz Ballroom filling the empty back lot. "Sure, with you're heart dead set on that little wonder bird, I figured I'd have to pull some star struck stunt to get him off your mind. And," the swindler added, a secret smile playing upon his lips, "I see it worked."

A slightly dazed Starfire, drunk from the soft music and moonlit night, merely gave a content smile up at the masked man. "You know," she began, easily shimmying her way closer to her date for the night, "I do not even know your name."

"What's in a name, sweetheart? I don't know yours either."

"You will not be able to pronounce it."

"Try me."

"Koriand'r."

"Kori Anders? Sounds American."

A laugh escaped her lips as she shook her head in amusement, "no, no but you are very close! Move your lips like so," the warrior princess instructed, ever so subtly puckering her lips, "see? When you form the little o with your mouth, you'll be able to say 'Koriand'r'. Try again!"

And so Red X complied, saying her name over and over again, just to permanently imbed it in his memory.

Koriand'r.

Sure fit her a lot better than Starfire. A little too Las Vegas showgirl for his taste, not that he'd ever tell her.

"So, Anders, besides fighting crime and hanging out with your little groupie, you ever take the time to go to a drive in movie theater?"

The redhead frowned at his improper use of her name but found it somewhat…endearing and merely smiled. "Robin forbids us to go to the theater because he says we will attract too much attention. We have a floor to ceiling television with every channel available, although Beast Boy only watches the cooking channel and Cyborg enjoys the very violent ball kicking sports, like football." She frowned slightly, "Raven does not watch much television but she enjoys a few programs. Like the movie 'Halloween'. She thinks it is very funny although I do not see how a quiet man in a hockey mask is very amusing if he is not playing hockey."

"It's called a horror flick, babe," Red X offered, "you know, scary gore and blood?"

"I see that all the time though! Does that mean I can make my own movie?" Starfire asked, her voice suddenly giddy.

The bandit smirked. "Well, we could put up a few cameras or two around here…" he trailed off suggestively and almost laughed out loud when Starfire enthusiastically agreed to his idea.

"I think I shall put one in my bedroom and closet and bathroom and one in the kitchen and the T-Car! I'll put them all over the Tower!" She decided, "and then I shall make my movie!" A pause. "And you shall be in it too!"

Red X pretended to be stunned, "me? You want me to star alongside the beautiful and gorgeous Koriand'r? I don't think audiences are going to pay much attention to me there, darling."

"You pronounced my name correctly!" She beamed, completely negating the rest of Red X's words. "You are the first one besides Raven to know and say my real name!"

"Wonder boy doesn't know?" He inquired, slightly surprised at the Boy Wonder's lack of knowledge about the alien princess. "I figured he would have placed that in his database and then looked you up and down through cyberspace."

"No, no. He has not put me into Cyborg's position but he cannot say my name. I tried to teach him once but he became very…"

"Frustrated?"

"Yes! Frustrated. And he left and told me not to bother him for the rest of the day."

_Asshole_, Red X mentally noted before grinning down. Mistakes on bird boy's part were benefits on his side of the receiving end; giving a gentle nudge down Starfire's back, he dipped her before easily lifting his mask, allowing his lips to appear. Without even thinking, the their began pressing butterfly kisses down her jawline and down unto her neck, spurred on by her mews of delight as her arms wrapped tighter around him.

Gently hoisting her up, he easily pressed his lips to her own, using her gasp of shock when her back hit the brick wall to slip his tongue inside her mouth. Instantly, he could taste nothing but sugar; the sweetest sugarcane and raw honey infiltrated his senses and he let out a breathy chuckle, knowing that it had been so long since he ever tasted anything half as sweet as she. He felt even more victorious when her hands pressed his head closer to her, her own desire flaming as his did as well; only when his hands began to tug on her fiery mane did she suddenly jump up half a foot in the air, floating breathlessly as she stared down at him.

"What are we doing?" She finally inquired, her voice tinged with confusion and honey, causing a frustrated growl to erupt from Red X's throat.

"We were," he emphasized, "having a pretty hot make out session there, babe. Word of warning, flying doesn't occur until we hit the bedroom."

The alien princess merely furrowed her brow, "I cannot," she stated, "Robin would be upset and the Titans would-"

"Would what? Since when did bird boy become your number one priority?" He snapped, his voice harsh as he yanked the mask back to cover his mouth, unwilling to expose any more of himself than he already had.

"He is my friend," the red haired princess retorted, crossing her arms as she looked down at him from her height. "And you are his enemy."

"Am I yours?"

"I…no," she allowed reluctantly, "but-"

Red X momentarily rolled his eyes before walking closer towards the levitating princess, easily grasping one of her hands with a agile jump. "C'mon now, sweetheart, you don't hate me and I don't hate you. We can work the rest later."

She frowned, "we cannot work anything out later! The Titans will know that I have been gone for a long time and Raven will surely try to seek me out telepathically and I…"

"You what?"

"I do not want to be found. Yet."

A sly grin appeared upon Red X's face as he saw Starfire's eyes widen with a slight guilt upon acknowledging the fact that she would rather spend time with a scheming thief than with her glory ridden hero friends. "How about we go somewhere that the sexy goth chick can't sense you?" When a slight frown appeared upon Starfire's brow at Red X's description of Raven, he gave a small cheer that she felt some irritability to when he called the other female hero sexy. Despite it being petty, he wanted some knowledge that the alien princess felt the same hot emotion he felt burning inside whenever their eyes (his masked, hers glowing) met. Walking a few feet closer, he pinned her agains the brick of the Ritz hotel and smirked, "we'll be back before tomorrow starts."

"And how can I be sure that you are telling the truth and are not simply saying that just so you can kidnap me and use me for the…leverage." She struggled to come up with the last word but her tone, even to her own ears, sounded more eager than skeptical.

Red X shrugged. "You don't. You're just going to have to trust me on this, babe."

Starfire narrowed her eyes, "you have not given me many reasons to trust you."

"Then let me give you a reason now." His voice was surprisingly earnest and filled with an awe that caused Starfire's heart to ache as she looked at the dark mask covering this mysterious man's face. Biting her lip, she weighed her options: how long could she go on fighting the attraction she felt towards the mysteriously charming thief? If, perhaps, she simply did spend time with him to see that he was not as alluring as she believed him to be-that she really did not feel anything more than a sharp curiosity and lust, then she could go back to the Titans free of guilt. Giving an internal nod, Starfire knew that was her best option (that, and she desperately did want to stay with Red X), and a bright smile lit up her face.

"When do we leave?"

A smirk appeared upon the thief's face. "Now," was what he whispered into her ear before the two disappeared from the alleyway, leaving nothing but the gently gusting wind and the scent of honey and vanilla in the dawning breeze.


End file.
